Thoratun Ashfury
Thoratun Ashfury is a knight-templar, and a duke in the land of Northrend. Physical Appearance Bred hardy and powerful in the chill of the northern Eastern Kingdoms, Thoratun is one brutish knight, indeed. His shoulders, thick and hung heavily with bulky muscle bear armor as easily as some would silk, and his grace in such adornments would only further the comparison. A large and utterly mighty beard was worn proudly on his anchor-like jaw which was often jutted forward in frustration, thus furthering his brutish countenance. Emerald hues that were, once, perfect in their piercing glare were now marred and dulled. One was grayed and milky, often hidden away behind the obscurity of an eye patch. The other, though dulled in its years of use, still retains a razor-sharp edge that keeps a wary jade sight on all nearby. History Thoratun was born Thoratun Wolfwhisper, to his father Thoranis Wolfwhisper of Gilneas, and his mother Aliana Wolfwhisper, of Lordaeron. From a young age, the boy's father was a cruel and hard man. He showed no love to the child, and was quick to send him away to studies. Years of torturous studying and training under his father eventually drove the lad near mad, and he pleaded with his uncle, a Knight of the Silver Hand, to take him away. He was eventually answered, and in the dead of night the young man stole away to join his uncle in Lordaeron. They immediately made for Stratholme, where young Thoratun was raised from there on. When the cries of alarm and fear were heard as Thoratun walked the road from Stratholme, he froze in his tracks. Not only did he see Lordaeron soldiers striking down citizens, but those very citizens becoming horrid, mindless wretches. Joining a ragtag group of civilians, Thor escaped the Culling before it was too late, only barely making it out of the reaches of the Scourge. Some years later, he came upon Balledor the Lightbinder. This hero of the Silver Hand took him in, and mentored the lad in the ways of the Hand. His prowess was made noticeable, and before long he joined the Lightbinder on missions all over the world as his personal student. Years passed and the young paladin soon blossomed into a self-made knight. His personal quest for glory led him to far away regions, but one land gripped him harder than any other. Northrend It's said that a land can mold a man. It's hard to imagine to what extend this may stretch, but in the way of Thoratun Ashfury, the words ring true. A golden-eyed, spritely young knight on a quest for glory entered the bitter frozen north, and a hardened warrior left it. Excerpt from Northrend. Hands made wet and warm by the ichor of bravery drew from the quivering sword, as it stood embedded into the snow. The cries of pain had long ceased, given their reign to the mourning of those winter winds. The pines rustled, a chorus of melancholy that sang the dead men to the underworld. Blood seeped down his face, stinging an eye nearly split by the tip of a dagger, the very same dagger that was grasped tightly in leather-clad fingers, stiffened by the cold. A death grip. Ebony strands fell into the remnants of his sight, which settled itself upon the horror of the battlefield. Men of all sorts lay dead, be they of Ashfury or otherwise. Legacies shattered, and promises of return broken. All such bindings were ended with the shocking finality that spread its dark wings over the blood-laden snow. Death had reaped its harvest, yet a single stalk stood defiant amongst the corpses. The haze of shock lifted, as the single iris of emerald was shut away from the world, from the reality that reared its ugly head. He had survived, he had endured. He had won this bout against death’s limitless rule, a testament to the strength of the young man. Thoratun had been knelt in the snow, forced down beneath the weight of his armor, and the weight of his actions. The dagger was dropped away, and those hands… Hands stiffened and hardened, bloodied and scarred, wrapped tightly about the hilt of the ebony blade, as he drew himself to his feet. He had endured, he had survived, he had won. As assumed, the times he endured in Northrend altered who he was entirely. Yet, from these hardships grew a man more determined than most. His is a will with foundation set in ice. Marriages * Moratia Ashfury-Toov''' was Thoratun's first wife, and the mother to two of his children: Bragir and Emily Ashfury. Theirs was an ordeal of young love, and when the flames of youth passed and darker times arose, both Thoratun and Moratia agreed that their paths were diverging. It's said Moratia slipped into the folds of the Scarlet Crusade not long after their split.'' * Aelorelle Dawnsworn '''was Thoratun's second wife. She was the mother/guardian of his adopted daughter Thorelle Ashfury-Dawnsworn. Their marriage was perhaps the most influential of his political encounters, granting him a foothold in Quel'dorei and Stormwindian diplomacy. To hear rumor in the courts, it's said that Thoratun had proclaimed Aelorelle the love of his life, and he grieved long after her death for her passing. A memorial (in form of a statue) was erected outside his keep in Northrend, commemorating her and her acts. Holdings and Fiefs * ''Worgswood''' is Thoratun's primary place of residence and income. It's a duchy comprised mostly of a large keep, and a small village outside its walls. Numerous logging camps and mines generate substantial income.'' * ''Ashenfel is the village outside Worgswood, comprised of a dozen small homes, two small shops, and one sizable tavern.'' * ''Wightsmark is a small piece of woodland estate in Gilneas once belonging to the Wolfwhisper family. Located near the Blackwald.'' House Ashfury House Ashfury is the family over which Thoratun presides, ensuring their longevity and establishment in their respective lands. A noble house built from the foundation of strength in both the courts and in the field, theirs is a creed left stalwart in the wake of time. '"Righteous in Wrath" ＨＩＳＴＯＲＹ ＡＢＲＩＤＧＥＤ '' “Formed ages ago, in the kingdom of Lordaeron, House Ashfury was established by the warrior Tyrasius, who took on the name ‘Ashfury’ for his vehement display of combat prowess, and holy capabilities. Following on, the family took a particular interest in continuing this trend of light-wielding warriors. Akin to their military prowess, the house’s political warfare was just as cunning and relentless. Reports even say that numerous minor houses in their regions were extinguished during times of Ashfury power. Some reached out to the land of Northrend, seeking land, treasure, or an attempt to prove their power in a barren land. Some remnants of this bloodline remain, but are mostly obscure. Thoratun Ashfury, for instance, is a direct descendant of such settlers. As generations passed, the family eventually split into two sub-houses; These were Wolfwhisper, and Ashfury. These groups were apart in many ways, particularly their beliefs in the Light, and the shadow left in its wake. Wolfwhisper soon became known for its necromancers and shadowy practitioners, whereas Ashfury maintained its glowing reputation for honorable paladins. On a fateful day, near a fortnight from autumn’s death, a child was born. Thoratun Wolfwhisper, was his official name, and he was to spend his childhood amidst Gilneas, and the darkening nature of his parents. It wasn’t long, however, until his uncle heard tell of this child’s birth. The veteran knight, Tytos Ashfury, stole the child away and raised him within the halls of Stratholme, training to be a paladin and a knight, and so he did. Thus was born the current Head of House. When Stratholme fell, Ashfury’s strength had seemingly ended. Tytos had disappeared, and Thoratun was left scrambling for the safety of the southern capital of Stormwind. But, despite his poor position, he knew that there was a legacy to uphold. Upon arrival, he took up the mantle of his household, as his uncle had wished, and revived the house’s influence. Now, as the family of Ashfury draws together once more, Lord Thoratun has ensured the stability of their northern fortifications. The house and its retainers now reside primarily in the reaches of Northrend, a prominent noble presence aside from that of House Haethon, and House Winterscar, the latter of which has joined in alliance with Ashfury.”''Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Alliance Category:Alliance Paladin Category:Paladin Category:2014